What to write for a resume: human flaws and dignity.
In order to quickly find a job, you need a well-written resume. Everything is important here – the main thing is that the document is of interest to the employer, who, after reading it, wants to talk with the applicant personally, directly or via Skype. The resume should contain not only information about the availability of education and work experience, but also a list of personal qualities, which is of particular value to the employer.
It is the resume that gives the employer the opportunity to get the first impression of the applicant and everyone understands that there may not be a second chance to show himself. Therefore, it is important to correctly draw up this document, paying special attention to such a subparagraph as the weak and negative sides and qualities of the applicant. Many fall into a state of bewilderment and do not even have an approximate idea of what to write here. You can’t just skip it – the employer is unlikely to like it.
It is best to bring a few of your weaknesses and move on to completing the next paragraph. However, for the best effect, it is worth paying more attention to this issue and working it out in such a way that all weak points are not presented in the worst light. And this is already a real art that can and should be learned.
It is worth remembering that every phrase in a resume or in a questionnaire should show the applicant from the best side, and therefore it is necessary to think carefully about every word that will be written here. Of course, the employer, raising the issue of weaknesses, does not hope for absolute honesty. Rather, all of this is designed to study how a person is able to answer difficult and uncomfortable questions, as well as his adequacy and objectivity in relation to himself.
Important Tips
Before starting to list personal qualities, it is worth studying examples and samples of successful and well-written resumes that can be found on the Internet. We can safely say that the following rules work here:
- The information should only be truthful and reliable, since it will not be possible to hide the deception for a long time, and therefore it is best to just be honest.
- To express personal qualities, you should not be smart – short and understandable phrases will characterize the applicant much better than painted stories.
- It is imperative to be literate and to construct phrases correctly stylistically.
It is important to highlight 4-5 qualities that really matter for the employer.
If you make every effort when writing a resume and think over the correct answers to even the most uncomfortable questions, then the employer will receive a document that will really be interesting and memorable, which means the chance of getting a dream job will be increased significantly.
The listing of the applicant’s shortcomings in the resume immediately makes such a presentation stand out from the crowd. The employer sees that he is facing a person who is not devoid of self-criticism, which means that he is able to receive criticism from others. Thus, mentioning your shortcomings on your resume can play into your hands, but only if you present them correctly.
Weak strengths
It is important for the applicant to correctly present his negative qualities in the context of the profession in which he wants to find a job. If we talk about such specialties as an engineer of project documentation or an accountant, then it is permissible to give the following list of our weaknesses:
- insufficient diplomacy;
- increased responsibility;
- adherence to principles and lack of loyalty;
- narcissism;
- lack of communication skills;
- modesty and timidity;
- excessive pedantry;
- increased exactingness to oneself;
- anxiety and emotionality;
- mistrust and suspiciousness.
Such a list is certainly suitable for those who do not need to communicate with people hourly. For professions that involve constant negotiations, a completely different list of qualities will look beneficial. For the sales manager and sales assistant, the following weaknesses are acceptable and can be easily represented on your resume:
- increased sociability;
- hard work;
- straightforwardness;
- increased suspiciousness;
- the need for constant motivation;
- emotionality;
- self-confidence;
- hyperactivity.
Such qualities allow you to work with people and achieve success in your chosen profession, and this is the main thing for the employer. Therefore, you can safely write it all in your resume.
If we talk about leadership positions, then in the resume, weaknesses should be written as carefully as possible and worked out carefully and carefully. For the future boss, the following negative qualities are acceptable:
- increased exactingness to others;
- careful planning;
- constant obsession with work;
- pickiness;
- pedantry;
- emotionality;
- mistrust and suspiciousness;
- taking one’s own opinion as a basis;
- some slowness;
- formalism and attention to detail;
- increased sense of responsibility;
- straightforward;
- inability to raise your voice to others;
- credulity.
All of these qualities fit perfectly into the picture of a good leader who knows and knows how to properly use his weaknesses to create a prosperous working atmosphere.
Examples of unwanted flaws in a resume
There are disadvantages that are undesirable to point out, as they can scare off the recruiter. Examples of such disadvantages:
- the habit of being late;
- love of gambling;
- bad habits (cigarettes).
There are some disadvantages, which in themselves are not so bad, but mentioning them can also play against you. An unwanted list of shortcomings may include:
- excessive demanding (you are not loyal and are capable of provoking a scandal);
- the habit of expressing your opinion (you do not know how to listen to the opinions of others);
- painstaking, desire to finish the work, despite the late time (you do not know how to plan time).
To understand what shortcomings can be indicated in the resume, study all the requirements specified in the vacancy, and try to imagine a psychological portrait of the person whom the employer wants to see in this position.
Examples of flaws in a resume
Psychologists and experienced recruiters advise, when listing the shortcomings, to select those weaknesses that may turn out to be strong for future work. Examples of your shortcomings on your resume include:
- hyperactivity;
- pedantry;
- scrupulousness.
When pointing out your own shortcomings, try to turn them into advantages. Here are some of the shortcomings you can point out in your executive resume:
- exactingness to yourself and others;
- perfectionism;
- emotionality.
All these qualities can be turned to your advantage, because all of them, ultimately, indicate that you are responsible for your work.
You can do otherwise and reformulate your shortcomings, softening their meaning. For example, the same pedantry can be masked by the words: “I love to get to the bottom of the essence and bring the work to perfection.”
Finally, you can list such shortcomings in your resume that will hardly affect your future work in any way. You can report your fear of planes and spiders. If your job is not connected with frequent flights, and you are not going to get a job as a manager, for example, in a pet store, then all these shortcomings will not compromise you in any way. This means that you can safely indicate them.